'Right marketing key to selling Indian films globally'

ET BureauNov 19, 2009, 07.25pm IST

CHENNAI: Gordon Gekko, the character Michael Douglas played in the 1987 movie Wall Street, must have meant something altogether different when he said "Greed is good... And greed, mark my words... (will save) that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA." B ut in the land of the Mahatma, this very trait might just work for the Indian film industry, if used to churn out good content.

"Greed is a misplaced trait in the southern film industry. Why not be greedy about making great films, be greedy about widening our reach in the international markets, greedy about finding solutions to the problem of piracy? "It was with this interesting a nalogy that KAD Entertainment founding director and film distributor Rajkumar chose to sum up his views on the market opportunities available for Indian films beyond the domestic shores.

At the session on 'Exploitation of Overseas Markets and New Mediums' on day two of the Ficci Media and Entertainment Business Conclave on Thursday, those from the industry deliberated on how Indian films could reach out not just to NRIs in different parts of the world, b ut also find acceptance with the yet-to-be-tapped global audiences.

Collin Burrows of Special Treats Production, UK, said the timing of publicity efforts goes a long way in deciding the fate of a movie at the box office. "In the west, publicity efforts begin as much as four to five months in advance. Make sure the world gets to hear about the movie. I understand that it costs a lot of money to publicise a film at international festivals. But if you want your films to take on the might of the Disneys and the Dreamworks of the world, you have to beat them at their own game."

Special Treats is a film marketing company in the UK. It has recently also begun promoting Indian films in the international markets, 3 Idiots and Kites being a couple of them.

Moviemakers in India are a conservative lot and hold up publicity to just a few weeks before the release of a film, said Hungama Digital Media entertainment MD & CEO Neeraj Roy. But wide-spread publicity is a must, he said, adding "keep it minimal, keep it controlled. But, keep whetting the appetite of your audience so their curiosity level is at its peak when the film releases. One need not share too many shots from the movie, put out something that highlights the film."

But traditionally, producers have not tried too hard to sell their movies in new international markets -- one reason why Korean, Iranian or German movies are available in India, but the reverse is not so valid, opined Sanjay Wadhwa of AP International Grou p, which distributes Tamil and Malayalam movies abroad. This is something Bollywood has done reasonably well, but the south has lagged behind. Films like the Rajni-starrer Muthu or Chandramukhi or Mani Ratnam's Bombay did well in certain markets abroad.

"Although it helped that they were figures who were already well-known, one has to make a make an attempt first. Only then will we have a better foothold in international markets," Mr Wadhwa said.

The lack of awareness about new revenue streams apart from theatrical collections is one issue that has kept Indian films, especially regional language films, from the global audiences. Highlighting the importance of using new media avenues like the intern et, mobile phone and social networking sites, Mr Roy said filmmakers must "embrace the digital media available to reach a wider audience and monetise all revenue streams."

Although India churns out more number of films compared to the rest of the world, the share of Indian films in global film market is just 2%, Mr Ramkumar said. Part of the reason is the fact that Indian films differ drastically from Hollywood movies in term s of sensibilities.

"There is a disconnect in sensibilities between Indian and foreign films. But one need not consciously try to make films for the global market. The new generation of filmmakers are well aware of the global audience's requirements and are making films accor dingly," Mr Burrows signed off.